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- Optimal location and setting of time modulated PRVs for water loss reduction with leakage modelling by pressure driven analysisPublication . Sousa, J.; Muranho, João; Sá Marques, Alfeu; Gomes, RicardoWater losses have economical, technical, social and environmental negative impacts and so water companies are always willing to reduce them. The IWA Water Loss Task Force identified four main control strategies to reduce real losses: 1) infrastructure management; 2) pressure management; 3) active leakage control; and 4) speed and quality of repairs. Unreported leaks and background leakage usually represent a major component of water losses and pressure management is an effective, easy, economic and quick solution to reduce it. Pressure management can be implemented by introducing Pressure Reduction Valves (PRVs): fixed-outlet; time-modulated; flow-modulated and pressure modulated. For a fixed-outlet PRV there is a single working condition (pressure downstream of the PRV is always the same). For a time-modulated PRV there can be several working conditions (for instance, a lower pressure during the night period - from 0 to 6 am, and higher one during the remainder of the day). The flow-modulated and pressure modulated PRVs are more efficient because they constantly try to adjust the working conditions to reach the minimum pressure required at the critical node. However, pressure management projects must be preceded by specialized studies (identify the optimal location and settings of the PRVs to install) and cost benefit analysis (assessment of economic viability). A previous work presented a methodology to help in those tasks, by identifying the optimal location and setting of fixed-outlet PRVs to reduce water losses in WDNs and maximize the NPV of pressure management projects. Now the methodology was extended to include also time modulated PRVs and this paper presents the results obtained for a hypothetical case study.
- Modelação matemática para localização aproximada de fugas em redes de distribuição de águaPublication . Ribeiro, Luisa; Sousa, J.; Muranho, João; Sá Marques, AlfeuUm dos vetores de atuação no âmbito do controlo de perdas de água em redes de distribuição de água (RDA) é a adoção de políticas de controlo ativo de perdas, as quais habitualmente incluem a realização de campanhas no terreno para localização de fugas não reportadas recorrendo a equipamentos acústicos. Porém, estas atividades exigem equipamentos e recursos humanos especializados. Além disso, a extensão das redes faz com que sejam atividades morosas e, em determinadas circunstâncias de ruído ambiente, apenas realizáveis durante a noite. Nesta comunicação apresenta-se uma metodologia para localização aproximada de fugas de água não reportadas suportada por modelos de simulação de RDA e medições de algumas grandezas hidráulicas. A metodologia consiste em tirar proveito das medições efetuadas no período noturno, no qual os consumos domésticos são insignificantes e os não domésticos significativos podem ser monitorizados. Os resultados desta metodologia são as condutas com maior probabilidade de terem fugas e estimativas dos respetivos caudais. A utilização desta metodologia pretende aumentar a eficiência do trabalho das equipas que realizam as inspeções acústicas, reduzindo o esforço despendido, pois, perante os resultados, podem ser conduzidas para partes específicas da RDA onde se espera que efetivamente existam fugas (pelo menos as de maior dimensão).
- Dimensionamento Fiável de Sistemas de Distribuição de Água com o WaterNetGenPublication . Muranho, João; Sousa, J.; Sá Marques, AlfeuOs sistemas de abastecimento de água prestam um serviço essencial, razão pela qual há que ter os devidos cuidados no seu planeamento para assegurar o serviço a preços acessíveis e de forma fiável. Porém, estes dois critérios (minimização do custo e aumento da fiabilidade) são antagónicos, ou seja, mais fiabilidade implica mais custo e custo mínimo corresponde a baixa fiabilidade. Perante este cenário, os projetistas deverão procurar soluções que estabeleçam compromissos razoáveis entre ambos, ou seja, soluções que apresentem bons níveis de fiabilidade com custos comportáveis. A fiabilidade de uma rede de distribuição de água (RDA) é algo que não é fácil de apurar, razão pela qual é usual recorrer a medidas de avaliação indiretas. Embora este procedimento não seja o mais correto, uma vez que são conhecidas algumas debilidades destas medidas indiretas, a sua simplicidade e rapidez de cálculo torna-o bastante atrativo. Nesta comunicação apresenta-se uma ferramenta informática (WaterNetGen) desenvolvida para o dimensionamento de RDA que possibilita a adoção de critérios de fiabilidade, em simultâneo com o fator custo, e a sua versatilidade é demonstrada através de um exemplo hipotético que serve para ilustrar o dimensionamento económico e as potencialidades de adotar alguns critérios de fiabilidade publicados na literatura da especialidade.
- Water distribution network reliability: are surrogate measures reliable?Publication . Muranho, João; Sousa, J.; Marques, Alfeu SáWater distribution networks are known to be costly infrastructures. A few decades ago the research efforts concerning water distribution network design were focused on economic aspects and the goal was to obtain least cost solutions. Beyond economic, these infrastructures must be reliable since they provide an essential service to society. Reliability assessment is a complex task and involves various aspects: mechanical, hydraulic, water quality, water safety, among others. This paper focus is on the hydraulic reliability. As hydraulic reliability is computationally hard to measure directly, researchers came up with surrogate measures, like the resilience index or the flow entropy. But these surrogate measures had some flaws and researchers quickly started suggesting new ones trying to avoid those known flaws, like the modified resilience index or the diameter-sensitive flow entropy. But are these surrogate measures reliable to be used in the design of water distribution networks? This paper presents a thorough analysis of these reliability surrogate measures, supported by illustrative examples, highlighting their pros and cons to help in deciding which one to use for design purposes. A new reliability index is proposed and used to design an example network, its advantages are highlighted, and the above question answered.
- Calibration in Water Distribution Networks with Pressure-Driven AnalysisPublication . Muranho, João; Ferreira, Ana; Gomes, Abel; Sousa, J.; Marques, Alfeu SáWater distribution networks (WDN) connect consumers to the water sources, and its goal is to fulfil water demand. However, it is a well-known fact that WDN have losses and an important part of them occur at pipe level. Despite all the research efforts focused on this subject, the identification of leaky pipes is still a major challenge. EPANET is frequently used to simulate WDN’ models, using a link-node formulation, similar to a graph, where the water demands are assigned to the nodes. A linearized system of equations (mass and energy conservation laws) is iteratively solved by a Newton-Raphson algorithm. The EPANET is demand-driven, since it assumes the water pressure is always enough to satisfy the demands. However, on real WDN, states of insufficient pressure also occur. Besides that, the demand-driven approach is not suitable for pipe leakage simulation, which depends on the pressure. WaterNetGen — an EPANET extension— allows both demand and pressure driven simulations, including pipes’ leakage modelling. However, the leakage parameters (bursts and background leakage coefficients and exponents) must be set manually by an expert — manual calibration — for the whole network or for each pipe. This work proposes a calibration methodology to estimate the pipe background leakage parameters. The approach is tested on a set of synthetic models, generated by WaterNetGen, and then applied to a real WDN to assess its performance on real world conditions.
- Optimal District Metered Area Design by Simulated AnnealingPublication . Gomes, Ricardo; Sousa, J.; Marques, Alfeu Sá; Muranho, JoãoWater losses reduction in Water Distribution Systems (WDSs) is nowadays an issue of growing importance for water companies to ensure the economic sustainability of these public services. In this context, the implementation of District Metered Areas (DMAs) and/or pressure management are considered effective tools for leakage control, particularly in large networks and in systems with deteriorated infrastructures and with high pressure. Based in previous studies performed by the authors (Gomes et al., 2012; Gomes et al., 2015; Sousa et al., 2015), the methodology described in this paper follows the ‘water losses management international best practices’ and makes it possible to evaluate the Net Present Value (NPV) of DMAs project, as well as the benefits that can be achieved by pressure management in WDS, particularly in terms of water production reduction. Leakage assessment is performed using the analysis of the minimum night flow and the FAVAD concept, and it uses a pressure driven simulation model to predict the network hydraulic behaviour under different pressure conditions. The optimal location of DMAs entry points, pipes reinforcement/replacement and locations/settings of the Pressure Reduction Valves (PRVs) are identified by a Simulated Annealing algorithm. The potential of this methodology is illustrated through an hypothetical case study.
- Localização e regulação ótimas de válvulas redutoras de pressão em redes de distribuição de águaPublication . Sousa, J.; Muranho, João; Sá Marques, Alfeu; Gomes, RicardoNos últimos anos tem-se observado uma crescente preocupação por parte das entidades gestoras (EG) com o controlo das perdas de água em redes de distribuição de água (RDA). Provavelmente a maior parcela das perdas de água deve-se a fugas não reportadas, sendo apenas identificadas através da implementação de estratégias de controlo ativo de perdas (CAP). Porém, este tipo de estratégia implica a existência de equipamentos específicos e recursos humanos especializados, que, infelizmente, não estão ao alcance de todas as entidades gestoras. A gestão da pressão (GP) surge neste contexto como uma possível alternativa (ou complemento) ao CAP. Nesta comunicação apresenta-se uma ferramenta informática desenvolvida para apoiar o desenvolvimento de projetos de GP. A ferramenta tem por base um modelo de simulação da RDA, em que as fugas são modeladas como dependentes da pressão, e um modelo de otimização cujo objetivo é maximizar o benefício da implementação da GP (diferença entre benefícios e custos), do que resulta a identificação das melhores localizações para instalar válvulas redutoras de pressão (VRP) e as respetivas pressões à saída. A aplicação desta metodologia é demonstrada através de um exemplo hipotético que serve para ilustrar a facilidade de utilização e as suas potencialidades.
- Optimal District Metered Area design by Simulated AnnealingPublication . Gomes, Ricardo; Sousa, J.; Sá Marques, Alfeu; Muranho, JoãoWater losses reduction in Water Distribution Systems (WDS) is nowadays an issue of growing importance for water companies to ensure the sustainability of these public services. In this context, the implementation of District Metered Areas (DMAs) and/or pressure management are considered the most effective tools for leakage control, particularly in large networks and in systems with deteriorated infrastructures and with high pressure. Based in previous studies performed by the authors [1,2,3], the methodology described in this paper follows the ‘water losses management international best practices’ and makes it possible to evaluate the Net Present Value (NPV) of DMAs project, as well as the benefits that can be achieved by pressure management in WDS, particularly in terms of water production reduction. It is based on the analysis of the minimum night flow and the FAVAD concept, and it uses a pressure driven simulation model to predict the network hydraulic behaviour under different pressure conditions. Leakage assessment is performed using pressure driven analysis and the optimal location of pipes reinforcement/replacement and settings of the Pressure Reduction Valves (PRVs) are identified by a Simulated Annealing algorithm. The potential of this methodology is illustrated through an hypothetical case study.
- Locating unreported leaks with modelling tools and pressure monitoring: a case studyPublication . Ribeiro, Luisa; Sousa, J.; Muranho, João; Sá Marques, AlfeuWater losses are a major concern for water companies, mostly due to their economical, technical, social and environmental negative impacts. Unreported leaks are a major cause of water losses in water distribution networks (WDNs) and they are difficult to locate, particularly in plastic pipes, large diameters and low pressure conditions. The location of these leaks is very time consuming and requires specialized human resources, using sophisticated and costly acoustic equipment. The use of modelling and optimization tools, supported by flow and pressure measurements, is showing to be a challenging alternative to the traditional procedure. This paper presents the application of the proposed methodology proposed in [1–3] to a real WDN, highlighting the major difficulties faced when dealing with real world conditions, namely gathering and checking data, and building and calibrating the water distribution model. The results obtained in this case study show that this approach is very promising, encouraging future applications and developments.
- Analysis and Simulation of Drainage Capacity of Urban Pipe NetworkPublication . Gomes, R.; Vellando, P.; Sousa, J.; Sá Marques, A.; Muranho, JoãoIn the last decades the urban area of Leiria (Portugal) has spread quickly and the impervious surfaces increased significantly, mostly because of the type of pavements used (asphalt and Portuguese cobblestone) and the area occupied by buildings. One of the major problems is related to the recurrent floods in Leiria’s downtown during periods of higher rainfall intensity, which affect the economic activities, the environment and the residents’ lives. The urban area benefits from a large drainage network, but in some zones it has low performance, due to the degradation of the infrastructure and the successive located interventions occurred in the last decades (for network expansion and rehabilitation works). To minimize the flooding impacts in Leiria’s downtown, the municipality intends to build an underground pipeline (a length of 1.5 kilometres, with a 2.0 metres diameter and 0.2% slope) to convey the runoff by gravity from Leiria’s downtown to the river. This paper presents an integrated study of the urban catchment and the drainage network capacity using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). This study included the analysis of the solution for different rainfall intensities (corresponding to different return periods) to assess its performance and, when required, suggest additional recommendations.